Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 46: Rāvaṇa Disguises Himself and Approaches Sītā
Text 3.46.2
तदासाद्य दशग्रीवः क्षिप्रमन्तरमास्थितः।
अभिचक्राम वैदेहीं परिव्राजकरूपधृत्॥
tad āsādya daśagrīvaḥ kṣipram antaram āsthitaḥ
abhicakrāma vaidehīṁ parivrājaka-rūpa-dhṛt
tat = of that very; āsādya = took advantage; daśagrīvaḥ = Daśagrīva; kṣipram = and quickly; antaram = opportunity; āsthitaḥ = having waited [till now]; abhicakrāma = approached; vaidehīm = Vaidehī; parivrājaka-rūpa-dhṛt = assumed the form of a sannyāsī.
Having waited [till now], Daśagrīva took advantage of that very opportunity, assumed the form of a sannyāsī and quickly approached Vaidehī.
1 This indicates that Rāvaṇa was sinfully lusty.
Rāvaṇa assumed the characteristic appearance of a sannyāsī which will be described in the next verse.
GLOSS. If he had gone to Sītā-devī in his actual form as a rākṣasa, he would not have been able to take her with him. Therefore he assumed another form.
Why didn’t he assume the form of a gṛhastha and go [to her]?
Because it was possible for him to consider that in case Rāma arrived in the midst of his conversation with her, a war would take place [between Rāma and Rāvaṇa], and that if he was in the form of a sannyāsī, [such] a war wouldn’t take place.
Still a doubt remains: Why didn’t he assume the form of Rāma [and go to Sītā]?
Because it was possible for him to reject that idea on the consideration that if he had assumed the form of Rāma, he would not [experience] the passion of [meeting] someone else’s woman.1